Rendering of parking lot for the Bridgeview townhomes at Swanson & Catherine Streets in Queen Village | Rendering: Bridgeview Philly

The Planning Commission agreed yesterday to extend consideration (for the maximum 45 days) of Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell’s bill to double parking minimums for new construction across the city, reports Jake Blumgart at PlanPhilly. The belief that such a downscaling of parking standards like those set forth in the city’s four-year-old zoning code discourages residential development is largely taken as a truism in planning circles. And so Marty Gregorski, director of development for the Planning Commission, is perplexed by Blackwell’s rationale for the policy overhaul. “I’m not sure where these numbers came from or how they came about,” he said. “Are we trying to solve the parking problem in the city, or [is this proposal] based on one incident in one neighborhood?”

PlanPhilly’s Ashley Hahn considers the three Baptist churches recommended last week for nomination to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places: Graduate Hospital’s Union Baptist Church (1915), Spruce Hill’s Monumental Baptist Church (1884, 1914), and East Kensington’s Frankford Avenue Baptist Church (1889). All three structures are located in neighborhoods with increasing development pressure. Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia director Paul Steinke averred that Graduate Hospital, for instance, “has been ground zero for the teardown epidemic in this city” and that such designations do much to draw the proverbial “line in the sand.”

About the author

Stephen Currall recently received his BA in history from Arcadia University. Before beginning doctoral studies, he is pursuing his interest in local history, specifically just how Philadelphians engage their vibrant past. Besides skimming through 18th century letters, Steve is also interested in music and travel.

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